This is a page covering some of the annoyances that crop up in XP. In no particular order:
XP balloons are annoying
Start Menu delay before expanding is
too long
Faster termination of crashed programs
Recover multicolumn start menu
If you running Symantec NIS you may well get a
warning on shutdown that your paging file is
critically low and Windows is
enlarging it.
XP keeps launching MSN Messenger
Disable Messenger and Speedup
Outlook Express (my preferred way)
To stop Messenger alerts sent
as annoying Pop-Up ads
XP doesn't load FAX services by default
Forcing an auto-disconnect
Speed up the Search function
Some Windows components do not appear in
Add/Remove a Program
Internet all messed up? - cannot access certain
sites
How can I save space after installing a Service Pack or
other updates?
To Manually Install the Backup
Utility
XP balloons are annoying
One of these features that's new to XP is the pop-up balloons to let you know that a tour,
or hotfix, or network connection (etc.) is available. If you find these
simply annoying, you can add the following Registry entry to kill them off for
good.
1. Start / Run / Regedit.exe / OK.
2. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Add a New, DWord value called EnableBalloonTips and Modify the value to 0.
4. Close regedit.
If you later decide that you want the balloons back, you can delete the entry, or set its value to
1.
http://windows.about.com/library/tips/bltip610.htm
Start Menu delay before expanding is too long
1. Easy fix: run regedit as above.
2. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
3. Right click on MenuShowDelay, select Modify, set 100, click OK.
4. Close regedit.
Faster termination of crashed programs
1. Run regedit as above.
2. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
3. Right click on HungAppTimeout, select Modify, try a quarter of the current value
(say 1000), click OK.
4. Right click on WaitToKillTimeout, select Modify, try a quarter of the current
value (say 5000), click OK.
5. Close regedit.
Recover Multicolumn Start Menu
1. Run regedit
as above.
2. Expand
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. IE6: Right click on StartMenuScrollPrograms, select Modify, type NO, click
OK.
4. Non-IE6: Right click on StartMenuScrollPrograms, select Modify, type FALSE,
click OK.
5. Close regedit
If you running Symantec NIS you may well get a warning on shutdown that your paging file is critically low and Windows is enlarging it.
This never seems to solve the problem and there is some debate whether this is an
XP problem, an NIS problem or a combination:
http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/67/lev3/70/pid/779/qid/203383
The solution, simply, is to manually change the paging file
to around 1Gb. Do this as follows:
1. Win Logo
+
Pause|Break
2. Advanced tab
3. Performance / Settings
4. Advanced
5. Virtual Memory / Change
6. Custom Size, 1024, Set
7. then OK your way out.
XP keeps launching MSN Messenger
It seems to vary depending on the version of Messenger that you are running. However, start by:
1. Start Windows Messenger.
2. Click Options on the Tools
menu.
3. Click the Preferences tab, click to
clear the Run this program when Windows starts
check box, and then click OK.
4. In Outlook Express, click Options on
the Tools menu.
5. On the General tab, click to clear
the Automatically log on to Windows Messenger check box.
6. Click OK.
But I doubt this will fix it so you need to modify the registry (as always,
please use caution and frequent backups when editing the Registry - remember you
cannot back out of registry editing, it's all live):
1. Start / Run / Regedit.exe / OK.
2. Locate and click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft
3. On the Edit menu, point to
New, click Key, and then type Messenger for the
name of the new registry key.
4. Locate and click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger
5. On the Edit menu, point to
New, click Key, and then type Client for the name
of the new registry key.
6. Locate and click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client
7. On the Edit menu, point to
New, click DWORD Value, and then type PreventRun for the
name of the new DWORD value.
8. Right-click the PreventRun value
that you created, click Modify, type 1 in the
Value data box, and then click OK.
9. File / Exit the registry.
My
experience is that this now forces OE to take forever to launch. There are
a couple of work-arounds:
Disable Messenger and Speedup Outlook Express (my preferred way)
There are various ways of
disabling Windows Messenger from automatically starting, but they all have some
drawbacks. Until now. Namely, if you disable Messenger, OE takes forever to load
if you have the Contacts pane enabled (View / Layout... / Basic ).
1. Start / Run / Regedit.exe / OK
2. Navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Outlook Express
3. Add a New, DWord value called Hide Messenger and Modify the value to 2.
(This step is required to prevent a long delay when opening OE with the Contacts
pane enabled).
Slow loading of Outlook Express when Messenger is disabled (option 2)
1. Start / Run / Regedit.exe /
OK.
2.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{FB7199AB-79BF-11d2-8D94-0000F875C541}\InProcServer32
3.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{FB7199AB-79BF-11d2-8D94-0000F875C541}\LocalServer32
4.
For both, in the right pane, right click Default/Modify/Delete the value data.
To stop Messenger alerts sent as annoying Pop-Up ads
1. Click Start / Control Panel.
2. Click Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click Administrative Tools.
4. Double click Services.
5. Scroll down and highlight "Messenger".
6. Right-click the highlighted line.
7. Click on STOP.
8. Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
9. At Startup type, select Disable or Manual.
9. Click OK.
These pop-ups appear to use port 135. The
Windows Messenger service allows programs to inform a computer's operator of an
event. For example, printer software may use it to pop up print job status
and anti-virus software may use it to pop up virus warnings. The trouble
lies in that it also allows programs running on other computers to do the same
thing without any restrictions or authentication. While this may be useful
in some environments, it is also easily exploited and abused.
Why people waited until now to start exploiting
the feature is not known. It has been available since Windows NT and is
enabled on every shipping Windows 2000 and XP computer. Perhaps nobody
until now has discovered how to be so rude.
http://www.jmu.edu/computing/security/info/winmsg.shtml
XP doesn't load FAX services by default
Fax is not installed by default during Windows Setup. To install
Fax, follow these steps:
1. In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs under Pick a
category to open the Add or
Remove Programs dialog box.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components
to start the Windows Components Wizard starts.
3. In the Components list, click to select
the Fax Services check box, and then click
Next. Setup installs the Fax services. If
prompted, insert the Microsoft Windows XP compact disc, and
then click OK.
4. On the Completing the Windows Components Wizard screen,
click Finish.
5. In the Add or Remove Programs
dialog box, click Close.
6. To configure faxing capability in Windows XP, follow these
steps:
7. Click Start, then point to All
Programs, then point to Accessories,
then point to Communications, then point to
Fax, and then click Fax Console.
The Fax Configuration Wizard starts.
8. On the Welcome to Fax Configuration Wizard screen, click
Next.
9. On the Sender Information screen, type the information
that you want to be displayed on your fax cover page, and then
click Next.
10. On the Select Device for Sending or Receiving Faxes
screen, click the modem that you want in the
Please select the fax device
list.
11. If you want to disable the sending of faxes from this
computer, click to clear the Enable Send
check box. (Note: The Enable Send
check box is selected by default).
12. Click to select the Enable Receive check
box if you want the computer to receive faxes. (Note: When this check box is selected, you
can click Manual answer if you
do not want the computer to automatically receive faxes.
Automatic answering is enabled by default).
13.
Click Next.
14. You will then be taken through pages for TSID and CSID set-up which are
self-explanatory and routing instructions.
15. The next thing you have to do which,
bizarrely, is not obvious or contained in the set-up routine is to set-up the
fax "printer" properties.
16. Click Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware,
Printers and Faxes, rest the cursor over Fax so that it highlights
blue and notice that the Printer Tasks at left expands.
17. Click on Set Printer Properties. Click on the Device
tab. Click on Properties. On the Send tab, select the
number of Tries you want per fax and the time interval between retries.
OK your way out. Done!
Lots of answers are on-line at sites such as
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/category03
Forcing an auto-disconnect
1. Start / Run / Regedit.exe /
OK
2.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters.
3.In the right pane, find Autodisconnect and change the time accordingly.
At present, I'm not convinced this works!
Or...
Start / Run / net config server
/autodisconnect:30 / OK. (30 being an example).
The valid value range is -1 to 65535 minutes at the command line. To disable
Auto-Disconnect set it to -1. Setting Autodisconnect to 0 does not turn it off
and results in very fast disconnects, within a few seconds of idle time.
(However, the RAS Autodisconnect parameter is turned off if you set it to a
value of 0.)
Speed up the Search function
The Windows XP search feature includes an annoying animated
dog. More annoying, it adds a step to the previous Windows search process,
asking what you want to search for before you can enter search terms. You can
remove either or both of these annoyances.
ChooseStart / Search to open an Explorer window
with the Search Companion bar. To get rid of the dog, choose Change
Preferences in the options at the left side of the window, and choose
Without an animated screen character. To get rid of the extra step, choose
Change Preferences, then Change files and folders search behavior,
and then select the Advanced option.
Some Windows components do not appear in Add/Remove a Program
If you've been looking for a way to remove Windows Messenger
or other Windows components that don't show in the Add or Remove Programs
applet, here's the secret. Windows keeps a list of components in a file
called Sysoc.inf in C:\Windows\ Inf. Some of the entries under the
[Components] heading, among them the line for Messenger, include the word hide.
To make them visible to the Add or Remove Programs applet so that you can remove
them, you have to delete the instruction to hide them.
First, make sure that Windows Explorer is set to display
hidden files: In Windows Explorer, choose Tools / Folder Options,
then the View tab, and set the option to Show hidden files and folders.
Also remove the check from the check box labeled Hide protected operating system
files (Recommended).
After clicking OK, you can navigate to the C:\Windows\Inf
folder. Open Sysoc.inf in Notepad and find the line msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7.
Delete the word hide, being careful to leave the commas. Save and close
the file.
Next, go to the Control Panel, choose Add or Remove
Programs, and when the applet opens, choose Add/Remove Windows Components.
Windows Messenger should now appear in the list. You can make other
hidden components appear in the applet by following the same steps.
Internet all messed up - cannot access certain sites
This shows itself as an inability to access certain sites
usually with the same IP address (such as 192.*.*.* in my case which disabled
www.lego.com) or a general go slow. In the days before
Windows XP, a corrupted IP installation could often be fixed simply by removing
and reinstalling TCP/IP. In most cases, the IP-related files remained
intact, but some related Registry keys would be corrupted beyond repair.
You can't uninstall TCP/IP in Windows XP, because there is no
Uninstall button for this protocol. According to Microsoft, that is
because TCP/IP is an integral part of the operating system, and removing it
would cause major problems. There are 3 possible techniques that may yield
a solution. You can, however, use the Windows XP command
line utility NetShell to reset all IP-related Registry settings to their
default values, use the System File Checker or re-install IE. The result is a brand-new TCP/IP
and IE/OE configuration.
1. Info: the Netsh.exe program is located
in the C:\Windows\ System32 directory. To use the program, access the
Command Prompt through Start / Run and typing cmd
then click OK. At the Command Prompt, type
netsh int ip reset oldipreg.txt
and press Enter. If it advises that the file cannot be
found, at the Command Prompt type
cd..
and press Enter then repeat again type
cd..
and press Enter to return to the root directory.
Retype
netsh int ip reset oldipreg.txt
and press Enter. You will NOT see anything happen
when it runs. After Netsh.exe runs, the file oldipreg.txt will contain a
detailed log of the Registry keys that were modified. Type
exit
and press Enter to exit Command Prompt. Reboot,
continue.
2. To repair or reinstall Internet
Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP, complete the following procedure:
Use the System File Checker tool to scan all of the protected files on your
computer:
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type sfc /scannow
and then click OK.
Note that you may be prompted for the Windows XP CDROM. Expect this "run" to
take perhaps 10 minutes! Test to determine if the issue is resolved.
This can be found at MS KB
318378. There is more to the procedure that involves reinstalling XP and
possibly editing the registry to change the IE reference which can be found
here.
3. There is also an alternative method if the above does nothing:
From the Start menu, select Search, select All Files and
Folders.
In the All or Part of the File Name box, type ie.inf
In the Look In drop-down menu, select C:
Click on the down arrow to the right of More Advanced Options and confirm a
checkmark beside Search Hidden Files and Folders option. Ensure that Search
System Folders and Search Subfolders are also checked.
Click the Search button.
In the search results pane, find the ie.inf file located in Windows\Inf folder;
probably the first item.
Right click the ie.inf file and click Install on the context menu.
Reboot the computer when the file copy process is complete.
How can I save space after
installing a Service Pack or other updates?
Can I delete the Hotfix from Add Remove Programs? Some have been there a
long time and must have been replaced by later updates.
1. You do not want to delete the Hotfixes, if they are still listed, they
are most likely current and valid. If you delete the Hotfixes you also remove
the protection/enhancement they provide. However you can safely delete the
uninstall files. Once you are sure you will keep the Windows XP Service Pack, it
is safe to delete the uninstall files.
2. The files may be hidden, to show the file:
Go to C:\WINDOWS
Click the top TOOLS, click FOLDER OPTIONS, click VIEW
Check the radio button. "Show hidden files and folders"
Click OK and you should now see more files.
3. Go to C:\WINDOWS and delete "$NtServicePackUninstall$" about 240 Mb.
Then go to Add/Remove Programs.
Click "Service Pack 1"(2), there will be an error since you just deleted the
file.
Click YES to delete the shortcut.
4. Use similar procedure to delete uninstall files for the updates.
The updates will be in this format "$NTUninstall********"
5. The file "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download" may also be safely
deleted.
Depending on installation method of the service Pack, this file may not be
present.
6. Do NOT delete "C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles".
That file may be needed if you have problems later and sometimes for hardware
installations.
Some who really need the space burn this file to CD, but if space is that
important a larger or second hard drive is the better fix.
To Manually Install the Backup Utility
Insert the CD Rom and navigate to CD-ROM Drive:\VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP
Double-click the Ntbackup.msi file to start the wizard that installs Backup
When the wizard is complete, click Finish.
Back
This page was last updated on
Saturday February 17, 2007